planting plants correctly?

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Mgamer20o0

Mgamer20o0

BobsTropicalPlants.com
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Jun 4, 2003
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this seems like a stupid question but it i need to know how to do it right. i got some plants the other day put them all in today the Corkscrew Val's are floting on top. i dug a hole put it as far down as the roots are then cover it up. is there something more i should be doing? maybe putting it a little farther down to cover up part of the plant and not just the roots.
 
do you got plecos they dig them up

i found a elastic around a bunch and they stay down but is it good for a elastic in there ??i dono.... (i only use the elastic on the longer stem plants )
 
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Did you take the plants out of the pots and rockwool if that's what they came in?

Assuming you did (if that's how they came), what I try to do is "mix up" the roots and the sand (more gently if you have gravel) and make a tiny pile around the base of the plant. Using a small rock or two might help keep enough pressure on top of the roots in the substrate to keep them from floating up.

Stem plants are a little more annoying but will eventually stay down if you put them down far enough. Sometimes fish picking at the plants will cause them to dislodge too but I can't think of anything to suggest to prevent that.
 
If you have larger gravel in your bottom, stem plants will often float right back out. I've got a mix of small/medium gravel and if the stem plant is too long, I can't do anything other than shove it down as far as possible and try and lay a couple larger pebbles around it to help hold it in.

Sometimes putting the stem in at an angle seems to help, and if your substrate is shallow, this will also allow more of the stem to be buried.

With larger rooted plants I have a hard time getting enough gravel out of the way to get the roots deep enough without disturbing the plants around them--dig a hole and the gravel just falls back in. I've been told by experienced folk that it'll come easier with time--that eventually I'll be able to hold a plant with the roots gather in one hand, use a few fingers to loosen the gravel and insert the plant, then open up the roots and ease them into the surrounding gravel an inch or so under the surface without having the whole thing come floating up. I suspect I'll be doing ALOT of planting to reach that level. :)
 
Chuck_T said:
i found a elastic around a bunch and they stay down
Click to expand...

i wouldnt suggest bunching them together, they are a grass and will throw out runners to spread, bundling will inhibit this.

also do not bury the plant deep in the gravel, no new leaves will grow as the plant will have to fight against the weight of the gravel. all of mine have the crown exposed and only the roots anchoring.

cup the val in your hand (roots touching your fingers and leaves touching your wrist) shove your knuckles in the gravel and open your fingers. the plant should be an inch or less in the gravel and sufficiently covered.

you could try clipping off the bottom 25% of the roots to encourage better anchoring.

if your still having probs, let the plant float for a week until more roots develop.
 
I clip the roots leaving about ¼-½".

This part is hard to explain without a visual:

Hold your hand out and put the val in your palm so that the roots are just protruding over the end of your index finger. Close your hand, but not the index finger or thumb. Use your thumb to keep the val steady and gently push your index finger/val root into the substrate. Don't push it too deep -- don't go above the crown. Then withdraw your finger. Pack a little substrate around to hold it in.

The above works extremely well for me, but it's hard to explain it :D

Roan
 
Among my top three tank tools is a 10 inch long, flat nosed tweezer. I grip the roots and into the gravel I shove- then I pull the plant back up to its proper level.
 
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